BIOFUELS SUPPLEMENT
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A bi-weekly summary of world developments on biofuels, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)
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November 7, 2008

In This Issue:

News and Trends
- Biofuel Feedstock Research: A Key Area in “Horizons in Plant Sciences” 
- Falling Food Prices Indicate Biofuels May Not Be A Driver in Food Price Surges 
- ASTM International Publishes New Biodiesel Specification Standards 

Energy Crops and Feedstocks for Biofuels Production
- Researchers Identify Field Grass Varieties Suitable for Biofuels Production 
- Center for Jatropha Promotion Embarks on Ambitious 5-Trillion Jatropha Tree-Planting Plan 
- Australia Launches Grants for Research and Development in Second Generation Biofuels 

Biofuels Processing
- German Scientists Develop Non-Biological, Gentler Wood-to-Sugar Conversion Technology 
- Termite Digestome Research May Help Develop New Cellulosic Biofuel Technologies 

Biofuels Policy and Economics
- UN Foundation Report: Sound Bioenergy Policy Can Reduce Poverty and Climate Change Impacts in West Africa 





* NEWS AND TRENDS *

Biofuel Feedstock Research: A Key Area in “Horizons in Plant Sciences”
http://dels.nas.edu/dels/rpt_briefs/plant_sciences_final.pdf
http://biopact.com/2008/10/future-of-plant-sciences-explored-in.html

“New Horizons in Plant Sciences” is a document recently released by the National Academies (Science, Engineering Medicine) in the United States. It outlines the 21st century challenges and opportunities of plant sciences/plant genomics research in different application areas. Based on an ‘expert consensus report” by the National Research Council , the document explores the potential of “research in plant sciences, to understand and ultimately harness plants' properties to help meet agriculture, nutrition, energy, and human health needs.” In the area of biofuels, the report focused on ethanol, a major biofuel in the United States. The consensus was toward the use of lignocellulosic biomass as feedstock for cellulose ethanol production. But while lignocellulosic biomass has lesser agricultural inputs (water, fertilizer, pesticides) relative to corn ( the present ethanol feedstock), the processing technologies for converting lignocellulosics to ethanol is still a major cost hurdle. Cellulose ethanol production by the common biochemical route involves two main processes: (1) the degradation of “tough” plant cell walls (mainly cellulose tightly wrapped in lignin) into simple sugars, and (2) microbial fermentation of the sugars to ethanol. The challenge of plant science research with biofuel applications can focus on the understanding of “how plant genes control the composition and structure of their cell walls;”  these could one day lead to the development of “new energy crops with cell walls that are easy to deconstruct." The free document can be accessed at the above website..

Falling Food Prices Indicate Biofuels May Not Be A Driver in Food Price Surges
http://biopact.com/2008/10/world-food-prices-collapsing-were.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/feedarticle/7914436

The Biopact website reports that prices of food-based grains and oilseeds that are also used for biofuel production (i.e., corn, wheat, soybeans, and palm oil) are “collapsing.” Specifically for the case of corn, the recent trend belies the original belief that the record surge in corn prices last June was a consequence of the heavy demand for corn as an ethanol feedstock. The recent price of corn has reportedly dropped to about 50% of its record price in June, even if its demand for biofuel production has remained the same. Soybean and canola (both biodiesel feedstocks) also have similar trends in price reduction (about 55%). Major agricultural food commodities are also experiencing major price drops. Biopact further reports that the present trend has settled “for now”, the “food versus debate” and that “biofuels have played [no part], or at best, a marginal role in the sudden rise in global food prices.” Experts point out the “smart” and “sustainable” biofuel programs can actually help reduce food prices, and fight rural hunger/poverty..

ASTM International Publishes New Biodiesel Specification Standards
http://astmnewsroom.org/default.aspx?pageid=1515
http://www.astm.org/
http://www.biofuels-news.com/news/ASTMi_new_spec.html

International Standards Organization, ASTM (American Socieity for Testing and Materials) recently announced the release of four biodiesel standards. (1) ASTM D975-08a (Specification for Diesel Fuel Oil) is used for on and off road diesel applications, and has a revision to include an allowance for up to 5 percent biodiesel. (2) ASTM D396-08b (Specification for Fuel Oils), which is used for home heating and boiler applications, has a revision to include an allowance for up to 5 percent biodiesel. (3) ASTM D7467-08 (Specification for Diesel Fuel Oil, Biodiesel Blend (B6 to 20) is a “completely new specification” covering “finished fuel blends of between 6 (B6) and 20 (B20) percent biodiesel for on- and off-road diesel engine use.” (4) ASTM D6751-08 (Specification for Biodiesel Fuel Blend Stock (B100) for Middle Distillate Fuels is used to control pure biodiesel (B100) quality prior to blending with conventional diesel type fuels, and has a revision to include a requirement that controls minor compounds using a new cold soak filterability test. The ASTM International biodiesel standards usually provide quality assurance for biodiesel products. According to ASTM, “Engine companies, vehicle manufacturers, pipeline operators, biodiesel and petroleum companies will use the group of specifications for fuel preparation, quality checking, engine design, and bid and purchasing contracts.”

Related information: ASTM biodiesel web portal:
http://astmbiodieselfuel.com/pub/biodiesel/main.htm




* ENERGY CROPS AND FEEDSTOCKS FOR BIOFUELS PRODUCTION *

Researchers Identify Field Grass Varieties Suitable for Biofuels Production
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Oct08/switchgrass.days.lc.html
http://biopact.com/2008/10/researchers-identify-field-grasses-that.html

Researchers from Cornell University (United States) are presently evaluating different types of field grasses with the aim of selecting the candidate varieties that can be used as “dedicated bioenergy crops” in the Northeastern part of the United States. Among the criteria for selection are the region’s climate and soil conditions. The investigation is under the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' (CALS) Bioenergy Feedstock Project.  About 80 acres of experimental plantations are planted with “warm- and cool-season perennial grass varieties” growing in 11 counties across New York. According to Donald Viands, professor of plant breeding and genetics (and project head), “Switchgrass, big bluestem and other wild grasses native to the United States have great potential for producing the quantity and quality of biomass needed for conversion to alternative, renewable energy.”



Center for Jatropha Promotion Embarks on Ambitious 5-Trillion Jatropha Tree-Planting Plan
http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=140073&Itemid=31
http://www.worldenergy.net/public_information/show_news.php?nid=744

The Center for Jatropha Promotion (CJP) in India is set to implement its “New Biodiesel Tree Plantation” (NBTP) Project which aims to plant 5 trillion Jatropha trees in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The target is to produce 10 million tons of Jatropha-biodiesel per year, and to initiate a sustainable biofuel industry in the above-mentioned states. The CJP is dedicated to the development of alternative fuels from non-food oilseed bearing trees. The overall goal of the Center is to “contribute to the Millennium Development Goals by enhancing ecologically sensitive, pro-poor investments in sustainable non-food biodiesel feedstocks in the developing world.”  It is presently doing some work on 12 identified biodiesel feedstocks: algae, jojoba(Simmondsia chinesis), Karanja (Pongamia pinnata), Kokum (Garcinia indica), Mahua (Madhuca indica), Neem (Azadirachta indica), Simarouba (Simarouba glauca), horseradish (Moringa oleifera), Tumba (Citrullus colocynthis), Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.), Ricinus communis and Camelina.

Related information: Center for Jatropha Promotion website: http://www.jatrophaworld.org/



Australia Launches Grants for Research and Development in Second Generation Biofuels
http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/content/SUST/biofuel/Generation2_BF_R&D_Grants.pdf
http://www.ret.gov.au/resources/resources_programs/alternative_fuels_programs/
second_generation_biofuels_research_and_development_program/Pages/
SecondGenerationBiofuelsResearchandDevelopmentProgram.aspx

The Australian Government has recently announced the opening of competitive grants, called the “Second Generation Biofuels Research and Development Program (Gen 2)”. “Second Generation” biofuels are those that are produced from non-food sources, like lignocellulosic biomass for ethanol and non-edible seed oils for biodiesel. The grants, ranging from $1 million to $5 million are open to projects “involving the production of second generation biofuels in a sustainable manner.” Among the criteria for grant selection are: (1) “the ability of the project to contribute to the development of second generation technology and/or feedstocks which will support the development of a more sustainable and commercially viable biofuels industry in Australia,” and (2) “the ability of the project to develop new technologies and processes that will lead to significantly greater environmental and emissions benefits than currently utilised biofuel technologies and processes.".


* BIOFUELS PROCESSING *

German Scientists Develop Non-Biological, Gentler Wood-to-Sugar Conversion Technology
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=53944
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2008/September/30090801.asp

The breakdown of cellulose in the conversion of wood and other cellulosic biomass into component sugars is considered the “bottleneck” in cellulose ethanol production technology. The biological route (involving the use of cellulose-degrading enzymes or microorganisms) is said to be limited by the cost of the enzymes. On the other hand, non-biological methods use extreme (and energy intensive) conditions such as high temperature/pressure or very acid environments. Recently, a team of German Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research developed a non-biological wood-to-sugar-conversion technology which can be carried out at room temperature. The method is a two step process: (1) the dissolution of the wood in an ionic liquid (-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIMCl)), converting wood into shorter molecules containing a few glucose units (also called “oligomers”), and (2) the use of acidic solid resins to split the oligormers into individual sugars. The sugars obtained can be further processed into biofuels. The solid resin can easily be separated from the reaction mixture by filtration. The remaining challenge is to find cost effective ways to separate the ionic liquid..

Termite Digestome Research May Help Develop New Cellulosic Biofuel Technologies
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081021190648.htm

Interest in termite research for biofuel applications stems from the fact that termites and their gut-residing microorganisms (sometimes called “symbionts”) have evolved specialized cellulose-degrading enzymes which can be harnessed to develop more cost-effective cellulosic-ethanol production technologies. Scientists, like, Michael Scharf, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida, Gainesville (United States) are beginning to study the pool of genes in both termite and the gut-residing microorganisms that code enzymes for the digestion of wood and lignocellulosic material. Initial studies on this pool of genes (also called the “digestome” by the researchers) indicated that “ the enzymes produced by the termites and their symbionts [gut-residing microorganisms] tend to work collaboratively, with the lignocellulosic material having to be partially digested by termite enzymes before it can be further digested by symbiont enzymes.”  According to Scharf, “This kind of digestome analysis could also be applied to other insects that feed on woody material, such as wood-boring beetles, and certain wasps and flies.”.


* BIOFUELS POLICY AND ECONOMICS *

UN Foundation Report: Sound Bioenergy Policy Can Reduce Poverty and Climate Change Impacts in West Africa
http://www.globalproblems-globalsolutions-files.org/gpgs_files/pdf/UNF_Bioenergy/UNF_Bioenergy_full_report.pdf
http://biopact.com/2008/10/un-foundation-report-bioenergy-can-lift.html

The United Nations Foundation, together with the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development and the Energy and Security Group, recently released a document on “Sustainable Bioenergy Development in UEMOA Member Countries”. The report, commissioned by the Hub for Rural Development in West and Central Africa, “identifies opportunities, assesses constraints, identifies trade-offs, and outlines key policy issues for promoting sustainable production and use of bioenergy in the eight member countries of UEMOA.” The UEMOA is the French acronym for the “West African Economic and Monetary Union”, comprising the countries of Bénin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinée Bissau, Mali, Niger, Sénégal, and Togo. The report mentions that UEMOA countries face the challenges of land degradation and desertification that are ‘compounded by the lack of access to energy and effects of climate change.” “Sound bioenergy production policies can help drive a coordinated approach to poverty reduction and reduce the impact of climate change” on these already vulnerable areas. The full report can be accessed at the URL above..


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